A14095:734
A discovery of D. Jacksons vanity. Or A perspective glass, whereby the admirers of…A discovery of D. Iacksons vanitie. Or A perspective glasse, wherby the admirers of…
A discovery of D. Jacksons vanity. Or A perspective glass, whereby the admirers of D. Jacksons profound discourses, may see the vanity and weakness of them, in sundry passages, and especially so far as they tend to the undermining of the doctrine hitherto received. Written by William Twice, Doctor of Divinity, as they say, from whom the copy came to the pressA discovery of D. Iacksons vanitie. Or A perspective glasse, wherby the admirers of D. Iacksons profound discourses, may see the vanitie and weaknesse of them, in sundry passages, and especially so farre as they tende to the undermining of the doctrine hitherto received. Written by William Twisse, Doctor of Divinitie, as they say, from whom the copie came to the presse
Amsterdam: printed by the successors of Giles Thorp, 1631
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The first is, Shall we then grant that Gods knowledge is antecedent, and his foreknowledge consequent to his decrees? To this out of that which hath been formerly delivered may be answered. There is a knowledge goes before Gods will, called scientia simplicis intelligentiae th• knowledge of what may be, or is fit to be, there is another knowledge called scientia visionis, that is the knowledge of what shall be, and thi• followeth after the will of God; and I know no tolerable divine that did deny it, until the opinion of scientia media rose up; which the Authors themselves confess to be a new invention; And here as if this opinion were both Law and Gospel unto you, you •ise up in grave and supercilious manner to censure the contrary.
The first is, Shall we then graunt that Gods knowledge is antecedent, and his foreknowledge consequent to his decrees? To this out of that which hath beene formerly delivered may be answered. There is a knowledge goes before Gods will, called scientia simplicis intelligentiae th• knowledge of what may be, or is fitt to be, there is another knowledge called scientia visionis, that is the knowledge of what shall be, and thi• followeth after the will of God; and I know no tolerable divine that did deny it, untill the opinion of scientia media rose up; which the Authors themselves confesse to be a new invent•on; And here as if this opinion were both Law and Gospell unto you, you •ise up in grave and supercilious manner to censure the contrary.
Now as for the term of foreknowledge; I answer the knowledge of what may be, or is fit to be, goes before the will of God, and so may be called the foreknowledge of God; but the knowledge that things shall be, though it followeth Gods will, yet may it be called foreknowledge in respect of the event of the things themselves. For the things exist in time, but God did know, that they should be, from all eternity, like as from all eternity he did decree the futurition of them. Your second interrogatory is this, Or shall we say God did inevitably decree the obliquity of Jewish blasphemy against his Son because he did most certainly foreknow it? You